Oceans and Mountains
by thesummersparrow
Summary: Life is quickly changing in District 4 after the 74th Games and not in an entirely pleasant way. Is it possible to stay afloat with all the waves crashing around? CatoXOC, Fluctuat Nec Mergitur AU


**Disclaimer: _The Hunger Games_ and its characters are owned by Miss Suzanne Collins, not I.**

**Here we are, my darlings, the AU I've been promising since December. **Thank you so much to Saint-Brooke-Lynn for the idea. It's been really fun coming up with ideas for this story. :)****

**This takes place in an alternate universe from my story, Fluctuat Nec Mergitur. Here, Cato didn't Volunteer for the 74th Hunger Games and Nicaea's name wasn't drawn. So... other than that, everything is the same as the normal Hunger Games universe- i.e., Katniss and Peeta won the Games, rebellion is brewing, and President Snow is a terrible person.**

**Alright, one last note, t**his starts about... two months after the Games are over.****

****Ok, I'm done. Enjoy and pretty please review. :)****

* * *

"I don't understand."

"Don't understand what?"

"Why… why are you doing this?"

Her narrow, freckled shoulders lift in a shrug before she leans forward again. The rag in her hand stings as it comes into contact with my face, but I fight down the urge to flinch or whine. I'm not going to let this mutt from District 4 see that I'm uncomfortable. Especially after she stepped in after that idiot boy punched me in the face.

Nero's smirk in the background is a constant reminder that I'm not going to be allowed to live this down. Ever. Anytime I'm doing better than him, he's going to bring up that some peasant girl from District 4 kept me from my first fight here and then she cleaned me up.

"Di' annay of ye run off ta tile the bigwigs?" It's the red-headed girl that stood next to the brunette when she stepped into the fight. This one has a terrible accent. The sound of her voice rakes through my head and I feel a headache coming on as I try to figure out what the hell she's saying.

The brunette quirks a brow at me like she expects me to answer. When I don't, her face drops into an agitated scowl and she turns around to look at Nero. "Did anyone go to get the Peacekeepers?"

Her accent's there too, but she manages to be understood and not sound like an idiot. It's like the other girl doesn't even try.

"I don't know, why?"

"If they did," she says as she stands and looks around, craning her neck to see as much as she can, "then we really need to get out of here."

"Why? You didn't do anything," Nero replies.

The red-headed girl snorts and the brunette rolls her eyes, mumbling under her breath. "Like they care."

"What was that?" I ask. I narrow my eyes at her and she ducks down a bit, obviously intimidated. I can't help but smirk at that. I might not have been able to Volunteer for the Games, but playing mind games with little District 4 girls could be just as much fun. Maybe.

"You heard me," she says softly before bringing the rag up to the cut on my nose. She presses it a little harder than necessary, smirking when my nose twitches in pain. "There, all cleaned up. Hopefully the cut won't stick around too long."

"His Commandin' Officer's goin' ta as questions," the red-head says, eyeing me. "Ya got an answer prepared?"

I snort. "Yeah. I'm going to tell him one of you psychos punched me for no reason."

"You _were_ dancing with his girlfriend," the brunette says like it should have been obvious. She's sitting in the sand now, her whole body slumped forward like she's tired.

"How was I supposed to know that? It's not like she stopped me."

The brunette rolls her eyes as she stands up. "Yes, because she was supposed to tell the big, bad Peacekeeper no. That would have worked out really well for her, wouldn't it?" she snarls at me. "Not that Aiden's a much better option," she adds with a knowing look to the red-head who chuckles and nods.

"Who's Aide-"

I'm interrupted by another one of these damn District 4 people; it's like they pop out of the ground. This time it's a boy who's only a little bit taller than the girls, but I know better than to write him off on that alone. This kid's stocky and stronger than he looks and I'm not keen on getting punched twice in one night for looking at the wrong girl. Neither of these girls is worth that. So I stand up and look down at him.

"I've been looking all over for you two! The Peacekeepers are on their way."

The red-head curses and the brunette kicks at the sand angrily. "We better go," the red-head says, sending a hard glare at Nero and I like it's our fault this is happening.

She and the boy run off, but the brunette hangs back, looking at the two of us. "Please don't tell them there was a fight. We'll all be in trouble if you do."

Her big, brown eyes are pleading. She really doesn't want us to tell.

"I'll think about it."

Her whole body seems to slump at those words, like I'd flat out said I wouldn't lie, but she gives a small nod before running after her friends. I watch until she catches up with them, then turn to look at Nero.

"She's cute," he says calmly before leaning back into the sand. "Nice too. She didn't have to take that second punch for you. I wouldn't have."

"Second punch?"

"Yeah. She stepped in the way right before that ass hit you in the stomach. She took it to the shoulder. Did you not see it?"

I shake my head, my eyes wandering after the small silhouette growing smaller as she runs down the beach. I hadn't noticed her get hit at all.

"Oh, here comes Thorpe. Damn, he looks pissed. Better keep your head down otherwise he's gonna go off on you."

* * *

The night air is cool in my lungs and the breeze from the ocean sends a trail of goosebumps all over my body. My legs are beginning to cramp, but I don't dare to stop running. Not with the risk of Peacekeepers so close. A year ago, a party on the beach wouldn't have been a big deal. Even a fight on the beach would have been shrugged off, but not now. Now, I don't know what to expect anymore.

Beside me, Maggie and Danny keep running. Their breaths come in pants, so I don't feel so bad about the ache in my lungs.

Finally, Danny stops running and Maggie and I pull up a few feet past him.

"I think we're safe," he says, breathing deep, his hands resting on his knees. "How's your shoulder? It looked like he hit you pretty hard."

Almost as if knowing it's been talked about, my right shoulder starts throbbing where Aiden hit me. "It'll be better in the morning, but it's going to bruise."

"Why'd ya do that anyway?" Maggie asks.

I know she's digging for me to admit that I thought the blonde Peacekeeper was cute. That I'd been entranced by his beautiful blue eyes or some other bit of nonsense, but I'd be lying if I said that. I didn't feel any sort of connection to him; I acted on purely selfish reasons. "I knew if a fight broke out, we wouldn't be able to have anymore parties on the beach. You know how the Peacekeepers have been acting since the Games- any sign of aggression and the shut things down."

They both nod knowingly and Maggie shrugs in a 'fair enough' kind of way.

"Besides," I add with a grin, "I was kind of hoping to throw in a punch at Aiden myself."

* * *

**Alright, so here's the first chapter. If you'd like, I'll separate P.O.V. changes with more than the lines. Just let me know what would be easier for you guys. :)**


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